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Multiple-Meaning Words

A multiple-meaning word is spelled and said the same way but means different things: a bat flies at night, and you hit a ball with a bat. Context is the only clue, which is why these words are such good reading practice.

Here are 116 multiple-meaning words from past ClueBy puzzles, each with a real example sentence for every meaning. Use them as a reference, or make a printable worksheet below.

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Students read each sentence and write the missing word. Every word appears in several sentences, each time with a different meaning.

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Multiple-Meaning Words

Name: ____________________Date: __________

Write the missing word from the word bank in each sentence. Each word is used more than once, with a different meaning each time.

Word bank: cell · bowl · chip · cabinet · march · rule · wave · race

  1. I am seized by an uncontrollable ________________ of sadness.
  2. Each ________________ is a complete and highly sophisticated living world in its own right.
  3. What do you think of the new ________________?
  4. Oh no! I wasn't paying attention and left my ________________ phone in the restaurant!
  5. The band played a military ________________ at the parade.
  6. Millions watch the Super ________________ every February.
  7. Will civil ________________ and democracy continue in Algeria?
  8. In all probability, the ________________ will fall.
  9. Remember our ________________: no talking to strangers, no matter what.
  10. He was locked up in a ________________.
  11. She took a metal box from the top of the kitchen ________________.
  12. Place the flour, butter and salt into a large clean ________________.
  13. The surfers were looking for the perfect ________________.
  14. Winning one ________________ isn't the same as dominating a sport.
  15. Atomic bombs are a danger to the human ________________.
  16. It's your turn to ________________ the ball down the lane.
  17. The potato ________________ was salty and crunchy.
  18. We will have lived in Kyoto for eight years next ________________.
  19. Only by prohibiting all nuclear weapons, we can together stop the arms ________________.
  20. His birthday is in either ________________ or April.
  21. The chairman did not ________________ out the possibility of a disagreement.
  22. There's a computer ________________ on the table.
  23. Algeria has become a bargaining ________________ in a global game of poker.
  24. A lot of friends came to ________________ goodbye to me.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com

Answer key

  1. wave — a sudden rise
  2. cell — in biology
  3. cabinet — ministers
  4. cell — a phone
  5. march — music
  6. bowl — a football final
  7. rule — government
  8. cabinet — ministers
  9. rule — a law
  10. cell — in a prison
  11. cabinet — a cupboard
  12. bowl — a dish
  13. wave — of the sea
  14. race — a contest
  15. race — humankind
  16. bowl — to roll
  17. chip — to eat
  18. march — the month
  19. race — the arms race
  20. march — the month
  21. rule — to rule out
  22. chip — in a computer
  23. chip — for betting
  24. wave — with your hand

Multiple-meaning words list

Tick up to 10 words to build a worksheet with just those words.

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Frequently asked questions

What are multiple-meaning words?

Words with the same spelling and pronunciation but more than one meaning, like bark (of a dog or of a tree) or bank (for money or of a river). You can only tell which meaning is meant from the rest of the sentence.

Are multiple-meaning words the same as homonyms?

Mostly, yes. Teachers often use "multiple-meaning words" and "homonyms" for the same idea. Homophones are different: they sound alike but are spelled differently, like flour and flower.

Are the worksheets free?

Yes. Make and print as many as you like for home or classroom use. Each sheet has its own link, so you can print the same one again.

Where do the words come from?

From past ClueBy puzzles, a daily game where you sort twelve sentences by their missing word. A new puzzle every day adds four more words to this list.

Sentences from ClueBy, Tatoeba (CC BY 2.0 FR) and Common Voice (CC0). clueby.com